Apparatus for producing stage illusions



G. Roar-1's AND N. E. POLYTES.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING STAGE ILLUSIONS. Arrucmo'n nLso APR- ao, 1920.

1,391,854. Patented Sept 27,1921.

- 6 jVicko' dd NTOR UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

' GUS ROGEES AND NICHOLAS E. POLYTES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ArrARArUs ronrnonuome sinner: ILLUSIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 27,1921.

Application filed April 30, 1920. ,Serial No. 377,821.

To all whom it may concern: j

, Be it known that we, Gus Roenns and NICHOLAS E. Ponms, subjects of theKing of Greece, residing at New rose in the countyof New York and Stateof New York, have invented new and usefullmprovements in Apparatus forProducing Stage Illusions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to theatrical devices and one of the objects isto provide a' device in which, by'shifting the lighting of a pluralityof objects, any desired one may be caused to show or the blending of theforms of two objects may be shown.

Another object is to so position a glass partition with relation to thesubjects to be shown, that one subject upon being properly. illuminatedwill be seen directly through said partition, whereas another subjectupon being properly illuminated will have its reflection projected bysaid partition as from a mirror.

A further object is to provide means for turning off the illumination ofone subject and concomitantly turning on the illumination of anothersubject.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

All of these objects are attained by mechanism shown in the accompanyingdrawings consisting of one sheet in which Figure 1 is a diagrammaticsectional plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the light con trolling mechanism.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in both views. I

This invention contemplates the provid-. ing of means whereby an opticalillusion may be created by the proper relative lighting of two subjectsso that one may be made to dissolve and another to appear in its iseither painted black or covered with some Box 3 is provided with a door8, and box 4 is provided with a door 9 through which the'subjectsmay bemoved into and out of the boxes 3 and 4.

Box 3 is also provided with apertures 10 and 1.1 communicating withlightpockets12 and 13 respectively, in each .of which pockets is a lightconventionally shown at .14 and 15. Light excluding slides 16 and 17 aremountedin the pockets and adapted to be raised to open, or lowered toclose apertures 10 and 11 by means to be presently described. Shuttersor guards 18 and 19 are located at the mouth ofbox 3 for the purpose ofpreventing light from apertures 10 and 11 being conveyed directly to theeye of the. spectator. Similarly box 4 is provided. with apertures 20,and 21, light pockets 22 and 23; lights, 24 and 25, slides 26 and 27,and shutters 28 and 29.

m and g represent the posltions in boxes 3 and 4 of subjects ofobservation and a represents the position of the observer.

,In Fig. 2 it will be seen that 30 represents a wheel around which acord or cable 31 is given one or more turns. One end of cord 31 isconnected by two. branches 32 and 33 to slides 16 and 17, while itsother end is connected by branches 34 and 35 with slides 26 and 27. Pullstrings 36 and 37 are provided and connected as shown in Fig. 2. It willbe seen that by' pulling the cord 36 in a direction indicated by thearrow, slides 16 and 17 will be permitted to drop into light obstructingosition and at the same time slides 26 and 2 will be raised to opentheir apertures. By pulling a cord 37 in the direction of its arrow,slides 16 and 17 will be raised and slides 26 and 27 lowered. Theoperation of the device is as fol lows Subjects for observation such forinstance as a vase of flowers and a bowl of gold fish are placed inboxes 3 and 4 at points w and 3 respectively, the slides 16 and 17 beingup and slides 26 and- 27 being down. The four lights 14, 15, 24 and 25are then turned on and the subject at :0 may be seen by the observer at2 through the glass partition 7 as represented by dotted line we. Cord36 is then pulled which gradually closes off the lights on the subjectat a: by lowering the slides 16 and 17 and brings up the lights on thesubject at y by raising slides 26 and 27. As the interior of box 3 isblack the g a s 7 acts as a mirror to reflect the subject at 1 and thesubjects m and 3 are accurately located so the reflection of g/ will bethrown along the line me from screens 7 to the spectator. Then all ofthe lights are partly opened the two images Will be visible to thespectator and he Will appear to see fish swimming among the flowers inthe instance taken. Asslides 16 and 17 are completely closed the subjectat a: be comes entirely obliterated and the spectator sees only thereflection of that at 7 DoorS may then be opened and a new subjectplaced at a: after which by pulling cord 37 the subject at 3 will beobliterated and the new one at :29 will be shown.

NVhile what is deemed to be the most desirable embodiment of theinvention has been described, it is obvious that many of the details maybe varied Without departing from the spirit of the invention; and it isnot intended that the invention shall be limited to the exact details ofconstruction herein set forth nor to anything less than the Whole of theinvention limited only by the appended claims.

WVhat is claimed as new is 1. In a device of the class described, thecombination of a pair of chambers arranged at right angles to each otherand in each of Which an object for observation may be 10- cated, a sheetof glass interposed diagonally at the mouths of said chambers, separatelighting means for eachzofsaid chambers, separate shutters for each ofsaid lighting means, and meansfor concomitantly operating said shuttersto effect the darkening of one of said chambers and the lightingofthelighting means, and inter-connected lines connected to for concomitantlyoperating said shutters to efiect the darkening of one of said chambersand the lightingof the other of said chambers whereby the objects insaid chambers may appear to blend and dissolve into each other. V

r In testimony whereofwe have afiixed our signatures.

GUS. ROGEES. V

NICHOLAS E; POLYTE S.

